Celeste
by RainbowWolf1313
Summary: I'm Celeste Black and this is my story.
1. A New Beginning

Hello

_Hello! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Celeste and I am in my first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My upbringing has been anything but normal though I like to think I'm not all that unique. I'm considered a half-blood because my mother was a muggle and my dad a wizard, a pure-blood to be exact. Mum left when I was three and I've never met my dad so I was raised by my godfather. ___

_He's a great guy though a little over-protective. You see I've had a black cloud over my head for ten years now. My father is a notorious murderer and is locked away tight in Azkaban. Mum never believed he was guilty and left me letters telling me so. I believe he's innocent even if my godfather doesn't always. ___

_My biggest problem with starting at Hogwarts is that I am in the same year as The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter. Its nothing against Harry and everything against me. I'm scared that life at Hogwarts will be awful because of my connection to Harry. I'm afraid that when I get called for sorting everyone will know who I am. ___

_My name is Celeste Black and Sirius Black is my father._

Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with activity. Students and parents alike were milling around trying to get everything settled before the train left. I had stored my things and was now biding my godfather farewell.

"Remember that you are not your father, which means you can make your own legacy. What he did," I shot him a scathing look, not for the first time. "Or did not do does not dictate who you are Celeste."

"I know, but still, he was convicted without trial, and if anyone figures out that we're related, I probably will be too. I may have never met my father, but if they figure it out I'll stand my ground and if they try and push, I'll push harder." I was so serious that my godfather only smiled.

He hugged me goodbye and whispered, "Ever your father's daughter," before nudging me toward the train. Smiling over my shoulder I waved and climbed up, setting off to look for a compartment.

It proved impossible to find an empty one and after running into a group of boys who looked like gorillas I ducked into the next compartment I could find. After shutting the door I found two boys staring at me and smiled shyly.

"Hi, sorry to barge in but there are a group of boys out there that are the size of trolls so I hope I'm not intruding on anything. I'm Celeste by the way."

I sat down close to the door and tried to fade into the background hoping they would forget I was there but instead they introduced themselves in turn.

"Ron Weasley." This came from the red-headed one and I smiled at him which made him blush.

"Harry Potter."

It took everything in me not to fly out the door. The one person I was most afraid of was sitting right next to me. I smiled but I knew it was shaky at best. His broken glasses framed green eyes and his black hair was the messiest I had ever seen.

I tried hard not to sound nervous as I said, "Well if we're going by full names I'm Celeste Black."

This drew no response from either boy and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. My smile grew and as I pulled back my dark curly hair I asked them if they liked Quidditch. Ron looked like he'd seen a ghost or something. Harry just looked confused. Seeing his look Ron took the opportunity to explain Quidditch to Harry. I think he was just trying to recover from shock.

Finally Ron turned back to me and said, "So you actually know Quidditch?"

I was shocked at the question. "Of course I know Quidditch. What just because I'm a girl you think I haven't a clue?"

This made Ron sputter nervously and he was saved from answering as a girl with hair so curly it made mine look straight entered the compartment.

"Have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one."

We all shook our heads and she left. Shortly after we heard the distinct words, "Anything from the trolley?"

I jumped up and opened the door. I didn't have much but I still had enough to get something. I bought a couple of chocolate frogs and a licorice wand. Harry came up behind me and bought a little bit of everything. We all enjoyed the candy as the train moved further north.

After a long discussion on sweets Ron started talking about spells. I'd done a few my godfather had taught me when I was younger but Ron said he had one that would turn his pathetic looking rat yellow. Just as he was getting ready to show us the girl from earlier appeared again. The fact that Ron was going to attempt a spell fascinated her. She plopped down beside him and watched expectantly.

Ron only managed to send the poor rat flying but the girl was actually able to do something interesting. As we watched she fixed Harry's broken glasses and as she handed them back she said, "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."

I smiled and introduced myself and Ron though she already knew who Harry was. I glanced at him and shrugged. What could I say, he was famous even if he had just found out about it. Hermione suggested we change into our robes and headed out of the compartment again. The three of us pulled down our robes and threw them on just as we felt the train begin to slow.

As we disembarked the train we heard someone yelling for the first years. We turned in that direction and I saw a mountain of a man smile and ask Harry if everything was alright. Harry said yes and the three of us climbed into a boat. The ride across the lake was uneventful at best and soon all the first years were squishing into a room together. That was when things started to get ugly.

A voice so cold that it caused me to shiver spoke right behind us. "Well, if it isn't Harry Potter. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron sniggered and I rolled my eyes.

"Something funny," Malfoy shot back. "I can tell just by looking at you that you're a Weasley."

Ron fell silent and I was starting to get angry. This boy acted like a name meant everything and I knew all too well that it didn't.

"You don't want to fall in with the wrong sort Potter, I can help you there." Malfoy looked incredibly pleased with himself. I wanted to throw-up.

"I think I can judge the wrong sort for myself," Harry replied.

Malfoy was moments away from sputtering unintelligently when a woman walked in and started speaking about the sorting ceremony. As we were lead into the Great Hall my nerves returned full force. The moment of truth was about to arrive. I couldn't breathe all of the sudden and wished I had remembered to slip some chocolate into my pocket.

"Black, Celeste."

I slowly slid onto the stool and waited. As the hat was placed on my head I heard a voice speaking softly. "Yes, a Black is it? A Slytherin family through and through but something here is different. Gryffindor lies in your past, interesting indeed. Ah, what's this? Well, it's obvious where you belong- **GRYFFINDOR**!"

I was so relieved I almost fell on my way to the house table. People were cheering and welcoming me into the fold. I settled in place, relieved that I had not let my father and godfather down.

Soon everyone was sorted and I had been joined by Ron, Harry and Hermione. Professor Dumbledore rose and gave a rather odd speech which was followed by the appearance more food than I'd ever seen in one place. The food was some of the best I'd ever had and made me miss my godfather terribly. This may sound strange but growing up food this rich and perfect had been a rarity since we really didn't have much money. I'd felt horrible when I had boarded the train and he had slipped me money for sweets because I knew it meant that there would be one less thing he would have that month.

When Dumbledore made his post dinner announcements there was a murmur of curiosity as to what was in the third floor corridor. There wasn't much time to think about it though because we had been dismissed and the house prefects were calling for us to follow. The climb to Gryffindor tower was tiring after such a long day and I didn't hesitate to bid Ron and Harry a hasty good night before climbing the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

When I entered my room I found that four other girls were already there. I recognized Hermione from the train and was glad that someone I had met was there with me. She and I smiled at each other and I bounced onto the open bed next to hers. I looked around at the others girls who were smiling at me.

"Hello, I'm Celeste Black."

"Lavender Brown."

"Parvati Patil."

"Hermione Granger."

"Leah Norton."

All of us were smiling but that quickly changed as we all began to giggle. No one was quite sure why we were laughing but that didn't help in the least. Finally, I caught my breath enough to say something.

"Well, that was polite wasn't it?"

This sent the lot of us back to giggling and I thought for sure that I would die of laughter. I was incredibly relieved to finally settle myself down. Slowly the others did as well and we prepared for bed. With a final smile at everyone I pulled the cord to release the curtains on the bed and fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.


	2. A Letter From Home

The year seemed to be flying by and before I knew it Halloween had arrived

The year seemed to be flying by and before I knew it Halloween had arrived. With it came a drastic change in my friendships. Harry, Ron and I had always gotten along and it was never dull. After Halloween Hermione joined out fold and the four of us were inseparable. Though I never voiced it to the others I felt like a new generation of Marauders had invaded Hogwarts. Even if I had said something they wouldn't have known what I was talking about.

One morning a couple of weeks after Halloween we were talking over breakfast when the owl post arrived. I was elated when a letter dropped into my lap. Even though we wrote regularly I still missed my godfather terribly. I opened it quickly and began to read, pleased as ever to see our code on paper.

_Dear Celeste,_

_Padfoot would indeed be proud of a new generation of Marauders. It does indeed seem that Harry is Prongs all over again. Not for the first time I wish you could remember him though from your letter it seems as though your friend is the mirror image of the man I knew. It's times like these that make me glad Filch confiscated the map as I know you would not hesitate to make as much if not more trouble than we did. _

_As for your grades, I am glad to hear that they are holding steady. I am concerned however that you are following in your father's educational footsteps. It seems you friend Miss Granger is indeed your Moony though without the 'furry, little problem'. There also appears to be a need for you to invent a new place for your friend Ron as he is by far no Wormtail. _

_Keep up your studies and I look forward to your next letter._

_Love always,_

_Moony_

"Moony?" This was from Hermione.

"Yes, that's my godfather's nickname. It's always been our game to talk in codes and such. I've been living with him since I was three and my mother left me."

Ron looked confused, "Where's your dad?"

I hadn't thought of that when I had shared the letter. "He's, well, he's not around." It was the only thing I could think of to say that didn't give away information I preferred to keep to myself.

"Who are the Marauders and who's this Prongs I'm like?" Harry seemed confused.

"Well, The Marauders were my father, godfather and their two best friends. Truth be told they behaved much like Ron's brothers, Fred and George. The four of them definitely made Hogwarts interesting in their day. Prongs and Padfoot were sort of their leaders and Prongs was actually really nice though there was one boy they had trouble with. Moony, my godfather, was the quiet one and he kept really good grade just like Hermione."

Hermione took her name as a cue to interrupt with a question. "What does he mean by 'furry, little problem'?"

I started to panic. What could I say? I couldn't tell them the truth, I just couldn't. What was it he always told me? Furry, little problem, damn why couldn't I remember? Wait, "Rabbit! He had a rabbit that was an absolutely horrible creature."

Hermione didn't really seem satisfied with this but Ron jumped in before she could ask anymore questions. "What about this Wormtail character? He says I'm not like him but if you three are like the others in their group than what does that make me?"

I laughed, relieved beyond words at Ron's confusion. "Ron, I promise you are nothing like Wormtail. According to my godfather Wormtail was the one who was just sort of there. He wanted to be a part of something and latched himself on to them. He was this really short almost invisible kind of guy."

Ron looked a little skeptical almost as if he thought he was invisible. I was shocked and a little angry at that. "Ron, you are not invisible! Believe me when I tell you that compared to Wormtail you look like the most popular boy in school. Besides I've seen pictures of them and you're a lot better looking than he was."

Ron and I both blushed as the words left my mouth which made Harry and Hermione laugh. After that the subject changed and we left for our first class of the day.

Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye. I had enjoyed my visit home so much that I hadn't wanted to get back on the train. When I got back to Hogwarts though my reluctance seemed to fly away as I saw my friends. We all talked about our Christmas and the things that had happened. I told the others how much I had loved their presents and showed them the necklace my godfather had gotten me. Hermione actually seemed concerned because I had confided in her about our financial situation. As I had expected she pulled me aside to ask about it.

"Aren't you worried Celeste? I mean that looks really expensive."

I shook my head and smiled. "My mum set up a trust for him to use at birthdays and Christmas to get me something special. He said that she knew we'd have a hard time so she did what she could. Normally we don't even use that much so that I have plenty for school supplies but he said that this Christmas was special."

"Just curious but why would this Christmas be so special?"

"Easy, it's the first year we've been apart since my mum left. It's been months and he knows how much I miss him. Honestly it's hard being here because I worry so much. He wanted me to have something special so I wouldn't worry so much about him."

She looked confused so I pushed on. "The stone changes colors if something happens. It's enchanted so I'll know he's ok. See how it's blue now? Well, if something were really wrong it would turn red and if something minor happens it turns pale purple. He even said that he'd arranged with the headmaster so that if it turns red I can go to Dumbledore and find out what's happened."

Hermione looked thrilled with the concept and began asking me all sorts of questions about the enchantments that caused the effect. I laughed as I explained it on the way to potions. It was nice knowing I had friends who cared and I felt a lot safer at Hogwarts now that I had a way to keep tabs on the only family I had.

The year continued rather uneventfully at first. But just before school ended everything went wrong. Harry had worried all year about what Fluffy, the three-headed dog, was guarding on the third-floor corridor. He was sure Snape was after it and the closer it got to the end of the school year the worse he got.

We'd finished the last of our exams and took the time to go down to the lake. It was hot out but the shade from the tree by the lake was nice. Harry seemed distracted but the rest of us were just glad to be done with exams. Unfortunately there wasn't really time to bask in the euphoria of classes ending because Harry was spurred into a flurry of activity. His scar had been hurting and Hermione was suggesting he go see Madam Pomfrey. I was too busy lying back in the grass thinking about summer to pay any attention until Harry jumped to his feet.

The three of us followed as he ran towards Hagrid's. When he answered everything went from bad to worse. Harry started questioning him about the night he'd gotten Norbert. When Hagrid admitted that he might have told the bloke he won the egg from about how to put Fluffy to sleep Harry took off again. It was a challenge to keep up with him as he raced back to the castle.

We reached the castle and almost ran over Professor McGonagall. Harry started talking in a rush saying that we needed to see Professor Dumbledore immediately. I honestly thought he was going to explode when McGonagall told him that the headmaster had left the castle minutes earlier. Harry began his campaign once again and ran into a brick wall the moment the words 'Sorcerer's Stone' left his mouth.

Professor McGonagall forbade us from doing anything concerning the stone and we had no choice but to leave. The outdoors no longer held any appeal and we returned to the common room.

"We've got to do something," Harry said.

"Professor McGonagall told us to leave it alone Harry."

"And? Hermione we can't just ignore it. Snape's going to try and steal it and we have to stop him."

I didn't know what to say but my mouth seemed to have a mind of it's own as I heard myself say, "Well then how are we going to?"

Hermione looked like I'd just punched her but Harry seemed relieved that someone was with him on this. We sat talking until dinner time and by then we had a plan. After everyone had gone to bed we'd sneak out and stop Snape. Hermione was trying to be the voice of reason but none of us were really listening as stopping Snape had gained too much importance.

After dinner it seemed ages before the common room finally cleared. Harry ran up and grabbed his invisibility cloak and we headed for the portrait hole when we heard a noise. We turned to see Neville standing there.

"You're going to sneak out again aren't you?"

Hermione blurted out, "No."

"Yes you are! You're going out and you're going to get Gryffindor in even more trouble. Well, I won't let you!"

I froze in place not really sure what to do. We had to go but if we left now Neville would go to McGonagall and we'd never stop Snape. Hermione came up with the solution and before I could blink Neville was locked in a full body-bind and we were on our way.

We made it to the third floor corridor in no time only to find that Snape had beaten us there. Harry let loose a string of curses and we all stopped trying to think of what to do. We weren't really given a choice though because just then Fluffy woke up and we had no choice but to jump through the trap door.

The landing was soft but the relief didn't last. Something was wrapping itself around us making it impossible to get away. I heard Hermione say 'devil's snare' and groaned. Ron was completely freaking out and I was on the verge of joining him when Hermione managed to get us all free. I rushed over and hugged her.

We made it past the keys and onto the chessboard. The only thing I could think was that we were now officially doomed. Ron figured out that we had to play our way across and we took up our posts. The game seemed to take forever until Ron suddenly said that the only way for us to win was for him to sacrifice himself. Hermione and I both yelled no but there really was no choice. When he fell it took everything not to rush over. Harry finished the game and we all ran to his side.

Ron was out cold and he was really beat up. I was fairly good with healing spells thanks to a need for them as a kid so I told Harry and Hermione to go ahead and I would take care of Ron. Reluctantly they went and I turned to my fallen friend. The damage wasn't as bad as it looked so I was just left waiting with Ron.

Hermione came back shortly and explained that only Harry had been able to go forward so she and I gathered up Ron and headed to get help. Once we made it out we found that Dumbledore was already back and he told us to take Ron to the hospital wing. With Professor McGonagall's help we managed to get Ron over there. Then we had no choice but to wait.

Professor McGonagall questioned us about what had happened and we explained as best we could. She left us with Madam Pomfrey and went to go release Neville from the full body-bind Hermione had left him in.

After what seemed like hours Dumbledore and a couple of the other professors brought in a very beat-up and unconscious Harry. Madam Pomfrey set to work on him as Hermione and I were asked to explain again. As we had before we left out the fact that Harry thought it was Professor Snape trying to steal the stone. After answering questions for what seemed like hours we were led back to Gryffindor tower. I had never been so grateful to see my bed.

The end of term feast was a welcome sight, even if the Great Hall was decorated in Slytherin colors. Ron, Harry, Hermione and I were all just glad to have made it to the end of our first year. Gryffindor was last in points for the House Cup but after what we had been through it didn't matter. Dumbledore rose to give his end of term speech and everyone fell silent.

The silence didn't last long however because suddenly Dumbledore was awarding point to Gryffindor. Ron got points for 'the best game of wizard's chess this school has seen in years'. Hermione got points for keeping her cool and I was award some for having stayed behind to take care of Ron, though those weren't Dumbledore's exact words. Harry got points for 'nerve and courage' and this tied us with Slytherin. The entire table went crazy. Then came the best part of all, Neville won points for having the courage to stand up to us when we left the common room and thanks to him we won the House Cup. I'd never seen the Slytherins look so angry.

Before I knew it we were on the train headed home. I was glad to be leaving if for no other reason than my first year had been far from boring. The four of laughed and chatted the whole way back though I could tell something was bothering Harry.

"No worries Harry, we'll write loads. You saw how much I wrote my godfather while we were at school so I don't think I'll have all that much trouble with it."

Harry laughed and the others agreed with me. "Yeah but at least you'll enjoy your summer. After what happened this year I think my aunt and uncle will be mad that I didn't manage to die."

I scrunched up my face and said some rather choice words on the subject. We changed the subject and talked about Quidditch the rest of the way home. I told Harry I was jealous that he was on the team because no one else had graduated so they wouldn't need new members. At least I was going to be allowed to have my broom next year.

The train slowed into the station and we all rose to gather our things. To keep the muggles from getting too suspicious the old wizard at the barrier only let a couple of us through at a time. On the other side I bid my friends goodbye and turned to look for my godfather. I smiled when I saw him, standing toward the back of the crowd, and rushed over to great the man that was both my friend and father.


	3. Dementors, Boggarts and Secrets, Oh My!

Two Years Later… Two Years Later…

Third year found the train abuzz with talk of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban. This of course made my world tilt on edge as I was left wondering if anyone would finally figure our that I was his daughter. No mention of it reached me as my friends and I searched for a compartment. None were empty but the one at the back of the train sported only a sleeping man and caused me to giggle as we settled in.

Talk turned to Black's escape and I immediately fell silent. For at least in hour no one seemed to notice my lack of participation. Finally, much to my dismay, Ron asked my opinion on the subject.

"Well obviously there isn't much anyone can do. I mean he broke out of Azkaban after all. They'll either catch him or they won't."

Ron looked confused and replied with, "Aren't you worried though? He is a mass murderer and all."

I wanted to argue so bad that I had to bit my tongue. When I finally managed to shrug indifference I could taste blood in my mouth. I was saved from further questions though as Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks, attacked Ron's pocket for the billionth time. This sent Ron off on a rant about the cat and I was able to relax at last. Only then did I realize that the sleeping man had shifted slightly when Ron had asked me how I felt about the escape and I laughed to myself.

Things seemed to progress normally from there. The trolley came and went as did the topics of conversation. Everything was as it should be until the train started to slow. Hermione was the first to react to the change.

"Why is it slowing? There's no way we can be there already we haven't been on the train long enough."

No one was able to answer though as everything suddenly grew cold. My eyes widened and I glanced at the sleeping figure in the corner. Surely he would do something, I mean this could only be caused by one thing. Sure enough my theory as to what was causing the cold proved right when every ounce of happiness and hope drained from my body.

The dementor opened the door and I thought that everything would end then and there. I saw Harry's eyes widen before they rolled back in his head and the figure in the corner finally moved. As the patronus flashed the dementor retreated and I began to feel warmth return slowly. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a chunk of chocolate which I quickly took a bite of.

Harry was coming to when I finally felt like I could be of use. He was vastly confused as the man from the corner began asking him how he felt. Harry mumbled something that sounded like 'fine' and the man handed him a piece of chocolate before excusing himself. Harry just sat staring at the chocolate as if it were some kind of foreign creature. Seeing him staring like that caused me to lose my cool completely.

"Harry! Are you mental? Don't just stare at it, eat it. Merlin, didn't anyone teach you any common sense? Eat it for crying out loud!"

They all stared at me but at least my ranting got Harry to take a bite of the candy. The mystery man from the corner came back as Harry was taking his second bite. His smile warmed me more than chocolate could have.

"Well done Celeste dear. I knew I could count on you to take care of your friend."

Everyone looked at me seeming rather confused. I blushed a little and grinned. It took a few seconds before I could explain.

"Everyone I'd like you to meet my godfather, Remus Lupin."

"Please for propriety's sake call me Professor Lupin. I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

I made a face as if I'd eaten something sour and Hermione gave me a questioning look.

"Well, imagine having the man who basically raised you suddenly become your teacher? I've called him either Remus or Moony my whole life and now all the sudden I've got to remember to call him professor. It's not exactly going to be easy is it?"

Hermione gave a small smile and Remus just laughed. "Celeste, I suddenly appear and you forget your manners?"

"Oh, sorry Remus. I've introduced you so then this is Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

"A pleasure to meet you. Now, are you feeling better Harry?"

Harry nodded. Remus looked pleased but still seemed concerned. I knew what the dementors meant and it was marginally frightening. They thought Black was going to come after Harry, they thought my father was coming to Hogwarts. I needed to change the subject and fast.

"Everyone, we should probably change. Now that the train's been moving for a while we're probably getting close to the school. Remus, shouldn't you be getting ready too?"

I was so glad when everyone started moving about I could have fainted. Remus shot me a look out of the corner of his eye to let me know that he understood. I tried to smile but it probably looked more like grimace. Remus nodded and made his way from the compartment. Once he was gone Harry looked at the three of us.

"Did you hear anything when that thing came in here?"

"Hear? No Harry, there wasn't any sound just cold." Ron and Hermione nodded their agreement. Harry started to protest but seemed to decide against it. We changed into our robes then sat talking until the train reached the school.

Once inside the Great Hall we sat through another round of sorting which made me remember having to sit under the same hat. A family with a past in Slytherin and my father, the first Gryffindor in Black family history. I was glad I had followed his footsteps instead of some other relative's. Of course Remus had been in Gryffindor too so I truly felt as though I had done him proud.

After the feast Dumbledore made the yearly announcements which included the introduction of iProfessor/i Lupin. I was so proud when I didn't laugh at it. I just smiled at Remus and rose with the rest of my house to head for the dormitories. After giving the password to The Fat Lady we made our way inside and flopped down in front of the fire.

It took only moments before Crookshanks pounced on Ron causing him to swear profusely. I couldn't help but laughed as the cat then climbed into my lap and settled down. Ron shot me a look as if to say 'how could you' and I just smiled pathetically. It wasn't as if I could help the fact that the cat liked me. I had a hunch as to why but I wasn't even marginally tempted to share the thought.

I was relieved to go to bed that night as it meant a reprieve from my friends. No matter how much I enjoyed their company there were secrets I had that I couldn't allow anyone to find out, not even them. It felt like forever before I fell asleep to thoughts of my father and the year to come.

Our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson was something to look forward to. Knowing Remus as I did I knew that it would be a lesson to remember. Sure enough the moment everyone sat down he smiled ad I knew something was up.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Lupin. Now, I thought we might have a bit of fun to start the year. Can anyone take a guess at what I have locked in this trunk?"

I watched the wobbling box and fought not to laugh. Of all the things he could have done this was by far going to be the most entertaining. Hermione's hand shot up and I knew the fun was about to begin.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"It's a boggart isn't it Professor?"

"Very good, five points to Gryffindor. Now no one knows what a boggart's true form looks like. When you encounter one it will take the form of whatever you fear most. Now the way to counter this is laughter. May I have a volunteer?""

Hands shot up all around the room. I watched as he scanned the room and was pleased when he picked the most unlikely person.

"Neville, would you mind assisting me?"

Neville seemed surprised but rose to stand in front of the classroom. Remus smiled at him in an attempt to reassure him but I could still tell Neville was rather nervous all the same.

"Neville, tell me, what is it that you fear most?"

Neville mumbled something that no one could understand and Remus asked him to repeat his answer. Neville looked embarrassed as he stuttered, "P-Professor Sn-Snape."

People laughed but Remus simply held up his hand and looked at Neville.

"Now please tell me the most amusing thing you can think of."

"Well, my Gran has this hat that she wears. It's red and has a large stuffed vulture on it."

This caused everyone, myself included, to laugh heartily. I knew where this was going and could hardly contain myself. Remus motioned for us to settle down and continued his demonstration.

"Now Neville, if you will when I release the boggart I assume it will take on the appearance of Professor Snape. When it does I want you to picture you're grandmother's hat and say 'Riddikulus'."

Neville nodded and held his wand out awkwardly. Remus flicked his wand at the lock on the trunk and out popped Professor Snape. Neville looked terrified but managed to say the spell, which instantly caused a large red hat with a stuffed vulture to appear on Snape's head. The entire class fell to pieces laughing.

Everyone's new favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts professor called for the class to line up and attempt the spell themselves. I made my way to the back of the line and prayed time would run out before I reached the boggart. While others focused on the task at hand I allowed my mind to wander.

If I reached the boggart what form would it take? Would it look like my father? Maybe it would look like Harry since I was terrified my friend would find out my secret. What would form in front of me? Could a boggart take multiple forms at once? My attention was refocused as Remus called an end to class. I saw that most everyone besides Harry and myself had faced the boggart and I was immensely grateful that I had avoided having to face it.

Remus smiled as I gathered my things and hurried to join the others only to have Harry stop in front of him.

"Professor, why didn't you allow me or Celeste to face the boggart?"

Remus looked puzzled by the question but looked Harry in the eye just the same. "I worried that for you the boggart might become Lord Voldemort and did not want to frighten the other students. As for Celeste, that is her reason to tell not mine."

Harry seemed satisfied with this and the four of us set off for our next class. Halfway to our next lesson Harry stopped and looked at me.

"Why did you hang back Celeste? It seemed like you were afraid to face it."

I looked down at my shoes. "There are some things that are best kept secret and this is one of them." I looked up and faced the three of them. "I promise though that when I'm ready I'll explain it but now isn't the time or place so please let it go Harry."

He nodded and gave me an apologetic look. I hated the fact that I was such a coward but it had become obvious that Harry didn't know who Sirius Black really was and I knew that when he found out it would be my worst nightmare come to life.


	4. Hogsmeade and the Marauder's Map

The days seemed to fly by and I did my best to keep up with everything

The days seemed to fly by and I did my best to keep up with everything. I found my grades slipping a bit because I had other things that I considered more important. Remus wasn't exactly happy with me over it but deep down he understood just the same. The first Quidditch match was coming up and I could tell it was taking a toll on Harry. I was fairly certain that the presence of the dementors around the castle was the cause but I didn't want to ask.

As the days went by I watched the skies carefully. So far I had managed to keep my monthly absences from my dorm a secret but it was getting harder because my friends could see how tired I was. Sure enough Hermione finally caught me.

We were at lunch the day after the full moon when she turned to me and asked the question I had been expecting for weeks.

"Celeste, I woke up last night and you weren't in bed, then this morning you missed class and now you look like you can barely stay awake. Is everything ok?"

Harry and Ron both looked to me for the answer and I knew that I would have to give the answer I had rehearsed so many times before now.

"Remus was ill last night and Professor Dumbledore gave me permission to go down and sit with him because I was so worried. He had a rough night and I didn't get much sleep so I was given permission to skip class this morning as well to get a little bit more sleep."

This seemed to satisfy them as all my other answers had but I felt awful nonetheless. I was tired of hiding things from my friends but I was so scared I just couldn't face it. I honestly figured that they would understand if I told them but I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

We headed off to potions and I was dreading the afternoon. I knew that Snape would pounce on my current state and try to make me look like a fool. I was determined to get everything right today so that he wouldn't have ammunition to use. I was so proud of myself when I managed just that. In fact it was probably the best I had done in potions since I started at Hogwarts.

The Quidditch match went horribly. Dementors appeared in the middle of it and Harry fell from a couple hundred feet up. I was glad that Dumbledore had managed to keep his injuries minor but I was still nervous as we sat by his bed waiting for him to wake up. When he did I didn't know how we were going to explain the lost match.

He took the loss better than I had expected but the loss of his broom hit Harry rather hard. I wished there was something I could do but there wasn't which left me feeling rather helpless. The loss of the match and his broom weighed heavily on Harry and it was only made worse by the approaching visit to Hogsmeade.

Harry couldn't attend because his aunt and uncle hadn't signed his form and it made things rather awkward. Little did I know that the much anticipated journey from the castle would be the day my worst nightmares came true.

Ron, Hermione and I bid Harry farewell on the day of the trip. We promised to bring him tons of sweets from Honeydukes but this did little to cheer him. The three of us set off but our excitement was dampened profusely by the absence of our friend. We wandered through the village and in and out of the various shops. We spotted Ron's brother Fred and George in Zonko's and admired the sweets that Honeydukes offered. We were preparing to head back to the castle when Harry made it known that he was there. After much debate we all perked up and ended up in the Three Broomsticks.

We were laughing and chatting away when a group of teachers accompanied by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, took a seat at the table next to ours. We moved a pot nearby to help hid Harry. We heard his name and everyone fell silent.

"Minister, there's been no sight of him then?"

"None. Its almost as if Sirius Black has disappeared completely. Sightings are continually reported but none of them have resulted in anything."

"Well, if something doesn't happen soon things are going to be miserable for the students. After the incident with the dementors at the school's Quidditch pitch Dumbledore is considering canceling further matches."

The next voice we heard was Professor McGonagall's and it would prove to be the voice of doom. "I truly hope for Potter's sake that it doesn't come to that. It's bad enough for him that this whole thing is happening but to lose that too would be a horrible blow. Though I must admit that he and Celeste Black are doing admirably all in all."

"What do you mean Minerva?" This was from Fudge.

"It's thanks to Sirius Black that the Potters are dead. Those children have the hardest fate to face in all this. Sirius Black is Celeste's father and Harry Potter's godfather."

I heard Ron and Hermione gasp and felt Harry shove away from the table. I grabbed my coat and hurried after him leaving Ron and Hermione to follow. I finally managed to catch up to Harry at the Shrieking Shack where he whipped off the invisibility cloak and glared at me.

"You knew all this?"

"Yes." My voice was barely audible as they stared at me.

"How could you not say anything? You knew he was the reason my parents are dead and you lied!"

He went too far with that and I exploded back with tears streaming down my face. "Do you think I enjoyed it? From that first day on the train I've been terrified you would find out and there was no way I could tell you because I just knew you would hate me.

"My father was convicted without a trial and I don't believe for a minute that he did that to your parents. Your dad was his best mate and there is no way he would have betrayed them like that. For three years I've had to hide who I was because I knew if people found out I would be condemned.

"My father doesn't even know I exist because my mother never told him. She picked my godfather because he was a wizard and one of the few she knew and trusted. I've lived my whole life hiding who I was and if you can't except things as they are then none of you are who I thought you were."

As the last word left my mouth I collapsed to the ground sobbing. My worst nightmare had come true and I was about to lose everything. It turned out to be Harry who finally put his arm around my shoulder to comfort me. I turned into him and continued to cry until there were no more tears left.

After I fell silent it took a moment before I could gather the courage to look him in the eye. When I did I felt a relief so powerful I know there will never be a moment like it again.

"I don't hold it against you Celeste. I don't know whether or not I believe you that he's innocent but you're my friend just the same and I refuse to let it come between us.

"I'm famous because of what Voldemort did to my parents and I envy you the fact that no one knows that you're Black's daughter but I can understand wanting to keep people from knowing so don't worry we've been mates for three years and that's not going to change now."

I hugged him and looked at the others. Ron and Hermione both smiled at me and echoed Harry's words. At least there was one good thing about all this. I no longer had to carry the burden of keeping my heritage a secret from my best mates. The relief that flooded me made everything seem a thousand times better and the future looked a little brighter.

We headed back to school, Ron, Hermione and I by the main road and Harry through the secret passage he had found. When we got back I excused myself and told them I needed to go talk to Remus. They agreed to meet me back in the common room in an hour and I all but ran to the staff quarters.

I was so excited that I practically pounded on Remus' door. When he finally opened it I rushed in and hugged him fiercely. I heard the door shut and felt his arms close around me. It was a relief to know that everything would be okay. My friends had accepted me for who I was and I had Remus to reassure me that I wasn't dreaming. I felt happier than I had since starting at Hogwarts.

After I pulled back from the hug I plopped down into the nearest chair and began talking a mile a minute. I told him about what had happened in the pub and the aftermath at the Shrieking Shack. I told him about how scared and angry I had been and the flood of relief I had felt when Harry hadn't turned me away.

I couldn't help but smile when I said, "The Marauders really are back! My secret came out and they didn't turn me away just like the others didn't turn you away." My face again lit up as I looked at him in wonder. "I have friends Moony, real true friends."

Remus' smile was the best thing about the day. I hadn't seen him look so happy in ages and to know that my triumphs were enough to bring him joy made my day all the better. Of course, being the sensible man that he is he just had to try and burst my bubble with practicality.

"Does this mean you'll be telling them your other secret Celeste?"

"No! Moony, they're great and they've accepted me for who I am but that secret isn't mine to tell. I don't care if I look really tired every month even though I know they wonder about it. I made a promise that I intend to keep so no, I won't be telling them about that."

Remus gave me a sad smile that I knew meant he felt guilty. He had always felt bad that I had had to keep his condition a secret but it didn't bother me at all. He had kept me safe for years and now it was my turn to do the same.

"You know that I would be okay with it if you wanted to tell them. In fact, it would probably be better if you did. No, don't interrupt. You've had a large weight lifted off your shoulders today but you still carry another one with you. Your friends have proven that they care for you no matter what so why not tell them the rest?"

"Because," I got up and went to his side. He looked so tired and it broke my heart. "Like I said before this isn't my secret to tell. I know you just want me to be free of secrets but this one is even more important then Sirius. You're the only father I've ever had and family is the most important thing, which you of all people should know."

He nodded, knowing that he would not win the argument. I sat by his side chatting for a while longer before bidding him farewell to go and meet my friends. Before I left I reminded him that I had not forgotten that the full moon was coming and I would be here before sunset. He sighed and gave me a smile, knowing that arguing would get him nowhere.

I rushed back to the common room and fell into one of the chairs by the fire. I was so happy and my attitude seemed to infect the others as we sat there laughing and talking. After a while Harry showed us how he had gotten to Hogsmeade and I nearly fell out of my chair.

"Brilliant! Oh Harry, where did you get it? I thought it was locked away in Filch's office."

Harry shook his head and leaned in closer. "Fred and George nicked it their first year. They said that it had served them well but it looked like I needed it more so they gave it to me. It's amazing actually, these blokes were really something."

I knew that all we'd seen was the folded parchment but I decided to have a little fun. "Can I see it Harry?" He handed me the map and before he could say anything else I pulled out my wand and tapped it. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The ink slowly appeared and Harry looked at me in shock. I smiled and pointed out the obvious. "It's called the Marauder's Map Harry. Don't you remember me talking about them first year? How Remus said he was glad I didn't have the map because of all the trouble we could cause?"

Harry smiled and I just laughed before tapping it again and murmuring, "Mischief managed."


	5. In the Shrieking Shack

When the full moon arrived it proved to be a miserable one

When the full moon arrived it proved to be a miserable one. Remus was horribly ill afterward and I knew it would be a couple of days before he was up and about again. The stone around my neck, the wonderful necklace Remus had given me back in my first year, had turned a pale purple and left me hoping that Hermione had forgotten how it worked.

Defense Against the Dark Arts proved to be miserable as it was Professor Snape who filled in for Remus. He gave us an essay on werewolves, which caused my heart to slam in my chest. The stupid git was trying to out Remus! My dislike of Snape skyrocketed that day to outright hatred. He had done something unforgivable and I wouldn't let it go by unnoticed.

Christmas came and went in a hurry. I had stayed at Hogwarts because Remus was there but other than that very few people remained. It seemed that the thought of Sirius Black was enough to convince parents to bring their children home for the holidays. Of course I couldn't have cared less since my only family was here at Hogwarts anyway.

The return of the students brought a new set of problems. Barely into the second term the whole of Gryffindor house returned to the portrait only to find it empty and slashed to pieces. It took ages to find the Fat Lady only to hear her scream that it was Sirius Black who had attacked her. That night as we lay in the Great Hall I stared at the ceiling feeling as though my blood had turned to ice. Could it be true? Could my father really be a raving maniac, responsible for the death of one of my best mates' family?

The night passed though I got no sleep. The next morning I could barely keep my eyes open and fiercely wished for peace and quiet. I was sorely tempted to sneak down to Remus' room and sleep the day away on the couch. I didn't do so however because I didn't want to have to explain to him why I had skipped class.

Days passed with Ron and Hermione's feud over Crookshanks only getting worse. Harry and I were left to do our best to keep out of it. We weren't that lucky though because Ron's rat went missing and he automatically blamed Crookshanks for it. Ron and Hermione refused to talk to each other and now Harry and I had to play go-between even though they weren't speaking.

Harry and I managed to escape it one afternoon and hid in the library.

"Ah silence! I swear I'm going to go crazy if I have to put up with those two bickering for one more minute."

Harry laughed quietly since we didn't want to incur the wrath of the librarian, Madam Pince. He sighed and glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "Just out of curiosity, do you think Crookshanks killed Scabbers?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I know everything looks like it but something doesn't fit. I mean there's just something strange about this whole thing but I can't put my finger on it."

Harry shrugged; apparently he didn't share my sentiment. After about an hour of hiding out we left the library. It still wasn't all that safe to venture back to the common room but we didn't have a choice because we knew that if we didn't show up they would come looking for us.

Days went by without any sign of them making peace. Honestly, I wanted to smack them both and force them to get over it. I wish I'd known how things would work themselves out but I didn't see it coming and it was the biggest shock ever.

It started with the four of us sneaking across the grounds under Harry's invisibility cloak. It was hard going since the four of us had grown quiet a bit in the last two years. We were sneaking back towards the castle from Hagrid's. We had gone down to try and be there for him when the Ministry came to execute Buckbeak but Hagrid had sent us packing.

As we made our way through the darkness Ron suddenly shot out from under the cloak. He turned around with Scabbers in his hands. The first thing that crossed my mind was that finally he and Hermione would quit their fighting. The relief I felt was short lived as a large black dog suddenly appeared and dragged Ron toward the Whomping Willow.

We rushed forward to save him but only got caught with blows from the tree. After trying to escape the insanity Crookshanks suddenly appeared and pressed a knot on the tree causing the branches to freeze. We fell hard and it was only a moment before the other two flew toward the passageway. I looked at Crookshanks and finally realized what I had been missing. Scabbers was a fake!

I heard someone coming towards me and grabbed up Harry's cloak, stepping out of the path of the branches just in time. I watched as Remus used a stick to push the same knot Crookshanks had and then disappear into the passage. I didn't know what to do. Should I go for help or follow my friends? The whole situation was wrong and I couldn't find the stick to freeze the tree with.

I was about to ask Crookshanks to help when Snape appeared and disappeared down the hole at the base of the tree. I grabbed the opportunity to get through and followed him, still wrapped in Harry's cloak. I arrived at the opening on the other end just as Snape made his presence known. It was then I realized that not only were Ron, Hermione, Harry and Remus in there with Snape so was Sirius Black.

I climbed up keeping myself covered. I watched as Snape began to threaten my father and everything inside me snapped. Before anyone could so much as blink Snape was flying across the room, hit by my stupefy spell. I threw off the cloak and looked at them all. The look on Remus' face nearly broke me but I kept my cool.

"Alright?" I asked the others. They nodded and before I could say more Black was ranting for the rat to change. I had been right Scabbers was no rat.

The spell from Remus' wand caused the supposed pet to turn into a man. I gasped to see Peter Pettigrew, a dead man, standing before us. The fury inside me welled again as Pettigrew begged and pleaded for mercy. This man had robbed Harry of his family and had stolen my father from me. I was more than prepared to curse him to hell when Harry decided that the Ministry would deal with him.

I was slightly relieved that this would finally end and watched as Remus and Harry bound Pettigrew between them. Black and Hermione supported Ron, whose leg was fairly torn up from the dog dragging him. Black used Remus' wand to levitate the unconscious Snape. As we prepared to head down the passage I stopped everyone.

"Wait! There's one more thing we should do before we go." Everyone looked at me in confusion as I pointed my wand at the ground. "Expecto Patronum!" My patronus sprang forward and looked at me expectantly. "Go to the castle and ask Professor Dumbledore to meet us at the Whomping Willow and tell him to hurry."

As the silver creature glided off I nodded and we headed down the tunnel. I walked behind Pettigrew with the tip of my wand pressed to the back of his neck. When we came out the other side I could see the silhouette of Dumbledore and others coming toward us. Pettigrew looked terrified and was looking frantically for a way out. I pressed my wand deeper into his flesh.

"Don't even think about it you scum. I swear that if you even try to transform I'll blast you apart just like they said Sirius did."

He froze and I held my ground. Everything was coming together. I felt relief for the first time that night until the stone against my chest began to burn. My eyes widened in horror and I began fling orders desperately.

"Put Snape down! Hermione get hold of Ron. Dad get over here and put that wand where mine is!" I realized that I had called Black 'dad' but I didn't stop to think.

I grabbed the vial that I always carried with me. I shot the tie from Remus' wrist as the clouds began to part. Dashing in front of him I caught his eyes with mine.

"Did you take your potion? Remus did you take your Wolfsbane?"

I knew from the look on his face that he hadn't and my senses kicked into overdrive. I dropped in a crouch and swept Remus' legs out from under him. I had moments before it was too late and I had to get him to safety. I threw myself onto his chest and poured the contents of the vile down his throat.

I looked up momentarily to see the others staring at me and was relieved to see that Dumbledore had nearly reached them. Pulling Remus to his feet I threw one last look at my father before dropping my wand. I embraced the change as I took my Animagus form. Grasping my wand in my teeth I rushed beneath the branches of the Willow and pressed the knot.

I looked and saw that Remus had managed to follow and watched him go down the hole. I turned back into myself and looked at the others. Dumbledore had Pettigrew captured with no chance of escape. I smiled at them all weakly and shouted, "I'll see you in the morning."

I hurried to follow Remus down the tunnel practically running the length of it. As I climbed out I knew time was running short. I quickly set the wards that would keep others out until morning and once again took the form of the black pup. I whimpered as I watched Remus' painful transformation into his werewolf form. All that was left was to wait for the sun to rise and the new day to begin.


	6. Going Home

I woke shortly after the sun had risen and saw Remus smiling at me from one corner of the room

I woke shortly after the sun had risen and saw Remus smiling at me from one corner of the room. I changed my form back to human and went over to him.

"Guess I got lucky last night huh Moony?"

"I think it was more intelligence than luck Celeste. You did well. You saved your father and your friends, that's something you should be very proud of. What's more you saved me from myself. Thank you dear heart."

I smiled and stood to help him up. We slid into the passage and made our way up to the castle. Professor Dumbledore was waiting for us at the main doors. Promising help in his office we slowly followed him. I was more concerned with Remus' strength than anything else so I didn't notice the others waiting there until after he was seated. When I looked up I froze in place.

"Morning Celeste." This from Hermione who had a huge grin on her face. Her smile relaxed me almost as much as Dumbledore's voice.

"I must say that I am very impressed with the actions you took last night Miss Black. You not only protected your friends but your family as well." He motioned to both Remus and my father.

"It will please you to know that the Ministry has Mr. Pettigrew in custody and is currently working on Sirius' release and exoneration. However I must warn you all that this will unlikely be the last we see of Peter. Though the dementors will know he is an Animagus his small size likely means he will find a way to return to his master.

"This said you must all take caution in the coming days. Lord Voldemort is not likely to give up without a fight and Peter Pettigrew had already proved what he would do for the Dark Lord. Now, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, I believe it would be advisable for you to return to your dormitories and get some rest.

"Miss Black, if you will excuse me I have some business to attend and trust you will see Professor Lupin back to his quarters."

A tiny smile formed as Dumbledore led my friends out leaving me alone with my father and godfather. The moment of truth had arrived and I was ready to face the future no matter what it brought. I looked up to find Sirius Black staring at me and held his stare.

"Last night you called me 'Dad'. I think I'm missing something here."

"Yeah I think you are. Well, it's like this. My mum never told you about me though I don't know why. When I was three she left me with Moony and disappeared. He's raised me since then and he's great but technically you're my dad, by blood anyways. I'll understand if you'd rather not have me around and that's cool cause I'm sure Remus will let me stay with him."

The words had rushed out of my mouth as I stared into eyes so like my own. Remus had always told me that I looked a lot like my father but I had never really thought about it until now.

"Is that what you want Celeste? To stay with Remus?"

"I want, well, I want a family. Remus is the only family I've ever had but I'd like you to be a part of it too."

Sirius looked from me to Remus and I couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking. "Moony, would you let me join you? I know that she'll welcome me but even if I am her father by blood you're the one who's always been there for her and I'd rather you made the call."

Remus and I were both taken aback by this. It was obvious that he still wasn't sure about me but was ready to give me a chance just the same. Remus glanced at me before turning back to my father.

"Sirius, you remember your old girlfriend Adelaide Castle?"

"Of course! She was the last girlfriend I had before my arrest."

"Adelaide came to me a month after Lily and James died. She had a baby with her. She had come to ask if I would be Celeste's godfather. She wanted to know that someone would take her in if anything happened to her. I agree because, even though I admit I thought you were guilty, you were still my old friend and I couldn't turn her away.

"Around a year and a half later she came back to me with Celeste and a couple of bags. She said that she couldn't keep her anymore and asked if I was still willing to take her because the last thing she wanted was to have to leave Celeste in an orphanage.

"She gave me a key for a Gringotts vault that she had had set-up for us. Said to use it for birthdays, Christmas, schooling and such. I found out later that she had put all the money she had in that vault. I-I," He stumbled. Remus looked at me with such sadness in his eyes that I was confused beyond belief.

Looking at me rather than at my father he sighed and said, "I found out later that the reason she had left you with me was because she was ill and did not have much time left. I heard that a few months after I took you in she passed away."

He turned back to my father. "I did the best I could in raising her but my condition made it difficult. Just before the first full moon after she came to live with me I discover that she was an Animagus. We'd been playing a games and she thought it funny to hide in her animal form.

"I found it humorous to learn that she took the form of a black puppy. Thanks to the combination of Wolfsbane and her being an Animagus it made things easier during the full moon. We've never had much but we get along well enough. Like Celeste said we're a family and my friend you are more than welcome to become a part of it."

Sirius looked at me with a rather curious expression. "A father am I? Well, it's a shock to say the least but I couldn't be prouder of you than I am right now."

The smile that spread across his face made all the difference. He looked so much younger, so much more alive. Just as I was starting to understand what he'd said I found myself being spun in the air. My father had rushed over and picked me up spinning us both in his elation. I couldn't help but laugh as Remus smiled at us.

The three of us spent the day in Remus' rooms. I slept on the couch while my father slept in one of the spare chairs. With help from Sirius I settled Remus into bed just after we left Dumbledore's office. Now it was nearly sundown and I stretched as I awoke. Unsurprisingly I had slept the day away and was a little startled to find my father staring at me as I woke.

"Good morning little one!"

"Little one?" I gave a small laugh.

"Of course. It's a reference to your Animagus. I think it's amusing that you're a little black puppy. I'm guessing you were born an Animagus to have transformed so young."

I nodded. "Remus had said that the only way I could change at such a young age was to be born one. I always thought it was a game. Every month he challenged me to stay as the puppy for the whole night and every morning after, no matter how bad he felt, he always made my favorite breakfast as a reward.

"Then when I was about eight I figured out that I could use it to help Remus during his transformations. Well, actually he let it slip when we were talking about you and James but either way it was the best thing I could have found out.

"I hated having to lock him in that room every month and to know I could stay with him was a relief."

My father smiled and shook his head. "You may look like me but you are so like your mother. I wish you could have known her, she was a wonderful woman."

"In a way I do. She left me letters that Remus gives me on my birthday and I have pictures too. You probably already know that she had other wizard friends but she asked them to take pictures of us together for me to keep.

"Honestly between mum and Remus I haven't missed all that much." I suddenly felt very shy and very small as I said, "And if it counts for anything I never believed that you were in league with You-Know-Who."

His smile said everything and he came and sat next to me on the couch. I leaned against him and realized that my father had accepted me. Everything was right in the world. I could have sat there forever just enjoying the fact that I had made it through everything but someone knocked on the door and since I was fairly certain that not everyone knew about Sirius' exoneration I answered.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing there. "Oi, what are you lot doing here?"

"We came to see you Celeste and we have food." Ron was obviously laughing at me.

"Food! Well then get you're arses in here I'm starving!"

They came in and I watched as my dad embraced Harry. It suddenly dawned on me that not only did I now have two dads but one of my best mates had essentially become my brother. I burst out laughing which made everyone look at me like I had lost my mind.

"I just realized that now I have Remus and my dad and since Harry's dad godson in a twisted way he's my brother." I laughed even harder because the words just sounded odd.

Everyone joined in and it was Harry who first managed to gather his wits. "You know, in a way Celeste's right. Talk about a hell of a third year."

We all flopped down and ate our fill. It turned out that the others had been sent straight to bed and had just gotten up a little while before. Instead of eating in their dorms they had gotten permission from Dumbledore to bring dad and I food. When we finished eating I filled a plate and knocked on Remus's door.

"Come in."

I opened it slightly and stuck my head in. "Harry and the others brought food, are you up to eating something?"

"Honestly no but bring me the food anyway and I'll try just the same."

I laughed and flicked my wand to turn on a light. He looked so pale and tired that I had to work hard not to cry. Even after all these years it still hurt to see what the moon did to him. Just the same I walked over and sat beside him on the bed.

"Remus, you are going to come with me when I move in with dad, right?"

"Well let me ask you this. Why don't you want to go live with your dad without me?"

"Why? Are you serious? You're my family! You raised me and you're the only family I've ever had and I refuse to let you push me away now that dad's free. He'll understand I know he will. I can't leave you for him because you're my dad too." I silently pleaded with him to understand.

"She's right Moony." We both looked at the doorway to find my dad standing there.

"Is she Padfoot? Now that you're free she doesn't really belong with me anymore. You're her blood and she should be with you."

Dad shook his head. "No. You forget my friend that I've never put much stock in blood. You, James and Lily were more my family than any of those people I grew up around. The truth is that you're her family not me. You've been with her through it all and I won't let you miss the rest."

I looked between them waiting for a reaction. After a minute of silence I stared at Remus.

"Please Moony! It won't be family without you even dad says so."

He was silent a little longer before nodding his agreement. I smiled brightly before pushing him to eat something. We had taken care of each other for years and it wasn't going to stop now.

With the end of term came so many changes it made my head spin. Remus resigned his post since someone, my bet's on Snape, had let it 'slip' that he was a werewolf. To be honest he didn't really seem all that upset over the whole thing. Dad gave him a hard time about wanting to stay home to be a housewife which had all of us laughing.

All of our things were sent back to the flat Remus and I had shared since we weren't moving until after school finished. Dad said we'd stay at our old flat until we could find a house. I was looking forward to having a yard more than anything. Dad even promised we'd get something big enough to play Quidditch in.

Ron, Harry and Hermione all promised to come and visit and with Dumbledore's help we made arrangements for Harry to be a semi-permanent resident. Because Voldemort was still out there Harry had to stay with the muggles some of the time or the enchantment his mother had left would break. Even as depressing as this was things still looked better than they had.

Just like Dumbledore had predicted, Pettigrew escaped Azkaban before school even let out. The man was just like the rat he pretended to be. Harry was still in danger but now he had loads of people who cared to watch his back. He and I had even gone from acting like mates to acting as though we really were brother and sister. Ron and Hermione thought it was hilarious but to us it just made sense.

Chaos reigned on the Hogwarts Express as everyone prepared to head home. The six of us quickly grabbed a compartment together and settled in for the ride. Remus sat in the corner again so I made a point to sit next to him with Hermione on my other side. Sirius sat across of Remus with Harry across from me and Ron next to him. We sat for hours talking and laughing. We even bought out the trolley when it came past.

The train's arrival in London meant saying goodbye for the summer. I hugged Ron and Hermione and promised to write often. I watched as they went off with their parents and then walked with Remus, Harry and my father through the barrier. We were going to have a little chat with Harry's muggle relatives before we let him go off with them. I had to hold back the giggles when I saw them.

"Boy, come on then we haven't got all day." The man who addressed Harry was the fattest I'd ever seen. I knew Dad wanted to say something first but I stepped up.

"Hello, Mr. Dursley sir. My name's Celeste Black. You've probably realized by now that I'm a witch and my father and I would like a word with you." I gestured to my dad who seemed to get the idea and put a hand on Harry's shoulders and mine.

"You see sir, my father is Harry's godfather which in a way makes him my brother. Now I'm sure you haven't really meant to mistreat him in the past but we'd like to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. We'll be picking Harry up a week before his birthday and I'm sure that until then all of his letters will reflect the improved treatment he'll be receiving from you."

I smiled sweetly and watched him turn purple. It took everything in me not to burst out laughing at how ridiculous the man looked.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No sir but just so you know my father was just released from prison." I followed the script Harry and I had planned in secret and managed to keep a look of total innocence on my face. Mr. Dursley paled horribly at the mention of prison and I had to bite my tongue not to laugh.

"Dursley, as my daughter said I'm sure Harry's letters will report nothing but positive treatment and in case you misunderstood her let me simplify for you. If I have any reason to believe that you are mistreating him then I will see that you pay for it. Do we have an understanding?"

The purple pig nodded and I turned to Harry. "Write as often as you like and if they try anything funny you know how to reach us."

Dad and I hugged him and waved as he walked away with his uncle. Once they were out of hearing distance we both broke out laughing and turned to Remus. He was smiling mischievously and I could only laugh harder. I wrapped my arms around both my "fathers" and the three of us headed for home.


End file.
